Marlina HartleyUNIVERSAL FUND MEMBER
Marlina's Story

Marlina joined Watsi on December 30th, 2016. Five years ago, Marlina joined our Universal Fund, supporting life-changing treatments for a new Watsi patient every month. Marlina's most recent donation supported Fatma, a resilient mother of seven from Somalia, to fund surgery to alleviate pain and discomfort.

Impact

Marlina has funded healthcare for 68 patients in 11 countries.

Patients funded by Marlina

Fatma is a 50-year-old mother of seven children aged between four and sixteen. She has faced considerable hardship, being a widow and the sole provider for her family, without a steady income. Fatma resides in Somalia, but also depends on the support of her niece that sells tea in Nairobi, Kenya. Unfortunately, she is unable to afford vital medical treatment. Since 2021, Fatma has been experiencing a persistent bloated feeling and discomfort in her lower abdomen. Initially treated for brucellosis and yellow fever at a local facility without improvement, the growth in her abdomen continued to enlarge, prompting both health concerns and a sense of self-consciousness due to the enlarged mass. She traveled to Kenya to seek medical advice, and further examination in Wajir suggested ovarian cancer, and the need for surgery. However, due to financial constraints, she sought help at our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. Here, the diagnosis confirmed a large non-cancerous abdominal pelvic mass that needed to be removed through surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Fatma receive treatment. On March 22nd, surgeons at AIC Kijabe Hospital will perform a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH/BSO) procedure to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and prevent future surgery for benign ovarian masses. Now, Fatma needs help to fund this $1,260 procedure. Fatma is hopeful as she awaits the surgery that promises relief. She says, “I look like a seven-month pregnant lady because of the growth. It is painful. I hope to get treatment so that this pain can go away.”

$388raised
$872to go

Jane is in grade 1 where she enjoys writing and playing with her friends, exhibiting a lively and active personality. Jane is the firstborn in her family of two siblings. She was brought to our partner hospital by her caring grandmother, as her mother works as a housemaid in Saudi Arabia, and her father is a farmer. Jane is an active girl and always likes helping her grandmother at home with household chores. She was born typical however, at the age of one year, the family noticed a bowing of her legs. This condition they came to know that it's called bilateral genu varum - bowlegs deformity. Currently, she walks in discomfort, always has pain and cannot play with her friends, her grandmother also told us that her self-esteem is low while in school and she always complains about other young girls laughing at her. Jane is scheduled to undergo bilateral leg surgery to correct the bowlegs. The treatment will be impactful to her because she will be relieved of the pain, will be able to stand upright, walk comfortably, play with her friends, continue with her education and her self-esteem will improve and she will be able to interact fully with her peers. In light of her situation, Jane's devoted grandmother passionately asks for support which will not only contribute to Jane's physical well-being but will also play a crucial role in enhancing her emotional and social development. We are raising funds to cover expenses related to the surgery of $1,224. Jane's grandmother told us, “I am appealing to the people of goodwill to help my daughter undergo surgery so that she can walk confidently like other girls. Your help will be highly appreciated. God bless you."

$1,224raised
Fully funded

Siek Meng is a 15-year-old who resides in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents make a living as rice farmers, and when Siek Meng returns home from school, she helps care for her siblings. During her free time, she enjoys learning English by watching English-language films and television shows. She aspires to pursue higher education in the capital of Phnom Penh and study medicine in the future. Around the age of 6, Siek Meng and her parents noticed something concerning about her back. However, they postponed seeking treatment until two years later due to the high cost of treatment and not considering it essential at that time. Unfortunately, the condition has since deteriorated, and she has been diagnosed with scoliosis, a deformity of the spine. In the past year, Siek Meng has experienced increased difficulty breathing as her rib cage presses on her lungs. Additionally, she occasionally feels numbness in her legs caused by her vertebrae compressing nerves. Thankfully, Siek Meng and her father undertook a challenging journey of two and a half hours to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), seeking assistance for her disability. The medical team at CSC plans to perform a spinal fusion with implants on August 2nd, which requires financial support as the operation costs $1500. This amount will cover radiology, medications, surgery, and post-operative physiotherapy care. CSC is requesting $1500 to help fund this procedure for Siek Meng. Siek Meng shared, "I am feeling embarrassed about my back and I want to not have chest pain anymore. I hope after surgery I can go back to school and be able to walk around my village more easily."

$1,500raised
Fully funded